Just About Everything

Ratnagiri, Odisha India Bihar is the land of Viharas, and Uttar Pradesh is not behind either but not many of us know that Odisha also houses the remains of quite an extensive and sacred Buddhist complex dating back to the 3rd century BC. Tucked away in the greenery of Mahanadi basin, there are these imposing remains of a Buddhist monastery complex in Odisha. This complex is known as Pashupagiri and the three destinations are Lalitgiri, Ratnagiri, and Udaygiri. These points form the diamond triangle of Buddhist destination in Odisha. It is easy to reach these destinations. The nearest airport is in Bhubaneswar which is around 100 kms away, and the nearest railway station is in Cuttack which is 70 kms away from this triangle. Lalitgiri is the oldest out of the three sites, this site has the remains of several brick monasteries, votive stupas, a stone stupa (which has been renovated), and a lot of sculptures with inscriptions on them. This stone stupa is on top of a...

Bhaja caves, Maharashtra India Just another 8 kms away from the Karla caves near Lonavla, Maharashtra, India, are another set of Buddhist rock-cut caves of Bhaja. The Buddhist rock-cut caves at Bhaja date back to the 2nd Century BC and are of the Hinayana sect of Buddhism. It is not a difficult climb, though during the monsoons you may need to watch your step, but it is worth the trek. I would recommend that you definitely visit this cave complex, especially if you are visiting Lonavla. The prayer is quite similar to that of Karla. The exterior side of the prayer hall had a timber attachment but it is no longer there. This place is quite captivating. I keep visualizing how this place must have looked in the 2nd century BC. This place is quite remote  since it is at a certain height and away from the main city, back then it must have been so completely cut off. But, the architecture is certainly not back dated, it was quite advanced actually. There are structures that he...